Alexander Technique Teachers

in St.Albans

 

Homepage


The Technique


Benefits


Our AT history


Finding out more


Lessons


Links


People come for lessons for three main reasons:


  1. *because of some physical problem that won’t go away


  1. *to improve performance in some activity


* to stay healthy and flexible with increasing age


Benefits of lessons

Age


Seeing how older practitioners of the technique function gives excellent insight into the benefits that accrue with long-term use of the work. Having lessons and using the principles of the technique in everyday life gives the best possible basis for dealing with age-related health problems.


Keeping joints free and avoiding many of the stiffnesses that so often arise with age give great general health benefit.

Performance


Actors, musicians, singers, horse riders, runners and other sports practitioners take lessons to get better at their activity. For  singers and musicians everyone can hear the improvement! Most drama and music schools include AT lessons in their curriculum.


Lessons allow everyone to be on a path of improvement in physical ‘use’ for whatever activity they engage in. This means less effort for the same results and so increases stamina. Lessons do not replace specific training for a particular activity. They complement such lessons.

Physical problems


Indirectly lessons can deal with many health problems including:

  1. •neck and back pain

  2. •poor coordination

  3. •poor posture

  4. •physical impairment due to an operation or injury

  5. •joint pain caused by misuse

  6. •hip problems

  7. •stress problems


Lessons in the technique were shown to get the best pain reduction for all forms of back pain. A major study demonstrating this was published in the British Medical Journal in 2008. See Links page for more details

Famous people who have publicly acknowledged the benefits of lessons include:


William Hurt: “The Alexander Technique has helped me to undo knots, unblock energy and deal with almost paralysing stage fright”


Richard Armitage (Spooks): “I follow the Alexander Technique for 15 minutes each morning. It’s a way of helping my vocal production and control, but when my stress levels are high during filming, it gives me a break.”


Lenny Henry: “…his new upright posture works to menacing effect when he towers over his Desdemona in Othello”


John Cleese: “I find the Alexander Technique very helpful in my work. Things happen without you trying. They get to be light and relaxed. You must get an Alexander teacher to show it to you”


Kevin Kline: “The Technique’s many benefits for actors include minimal tension, centredness, vocal relaxation, responsiveness, mind/body connection and about an inch and a half of additional height”